Radioactive waste. Burial of radioactive waste

Radioactive waste has become an extremely acute problem of our time. If at the dawn of the development of the nuclear power industry, few people thought about the need to store the waste material, now this task has become extremely urgent. So why is everyone so worried?

Radioactivity

This phenomenon was discovered in connection with the study of the connection between luminescence and X-rays. At the end of the XIX century, during a series of experiments with uranium compounds, the French physicist A. Becquerel discovered before that an unknown type of radiation passing through opaque objects. He shared his discovery with the Curie couple, who engaged in his study closely. It was the world-famous Marie and Pierre who discovered that all uranium compounds possess the property of natural radioactivity , as well as it itself in its pure form, as well as thorium, polonium and radium. Their contribution was truly invaluable.

Later it became known that all chemical elements, starting with bismuth, are radioactive in one form or another. Scientists have thought about how to use the process of nuclear decay to obtain energy, and were able to initiate and reproduce it artificially. And to measure the radiation level, a radiation dosimeter was invented.

Application

In addition to energy, radioactivity has also been widely used in other sectors: medicine, industry, research and agriculture. With the help of this property, they learned to stop the spread of cancer cells, put more accurate diagnoses, learn the age of archaeological values, monitor the transformation of substances in various processes, etc. The list of possible applications of radioactivity is constantly expanding, so it is even surprising that the issue of recycling of waste materials has become So acute only in recent decades. But this is not just garbage, which can easily be thrown to the dump.

Radioactive waste

All materials have their lifespan. This is not an exception for the elements used in atomic energy. At the output, waste is obtained, still possessing radiation, but no longer of practical value. As a rule, the spent nuclear fuel that can be processed or applied in other spheres is considered separately. In this case, we are talking just about radioactive waste (RW), the further use of which is not foreseen, therefore, they must be disposed of.

Sources and forms

In connection with the variety of options for the use of radioactive materials, waste can also have a different origin and state. They can be either solid or liquid or gaseous. Sources can also be very different, since in one form or another such waste often occurs in mining and processing of minerals, including oil and gas, there are also such categories as medical and industrial radioactive waste. There are also natural springs. Conditionally all these radioactive wastes are divided into low-, medium- and high-level waste. In the United States, the category of transuranium radwaste is also singled out.

Options

For a long time it was believed that the disposal of radioactive waste does not require special rules, it was enough to only disperse them in the environment. However, later it was found that isotopes have the property of accumulating in certain systems, for example, animal tissues. This discovery changed the opinion about the radioactive waste, because in this case the probability of their movement and entry into the human body with food became quite high. Therefore, it was decided to develop some options for how to deal with waste of this type, especially in the category of highly active.

Modern technologies allow to maximally neutralize the danger emanating from radioactive waste, by treating them in various ways or by placing them in a safe space for a person.

1. Vitrification. In another way, this technology is called vitrification. At the same time, RW passes several stages of processing, as a result of which a sufficiently inert mass is obtained, placed in special containers. Further, these containers are sent to the storage.
2. Sinrock. This is another method of neutralizing radioactive waste, developed in Australia. In this case, a special complex compound is used in the reaction.
3. Burial. At this stage, the search for suitable places in the earth's crust, where radioactive waste could be placed, is being conducted. The most promising project is the project, according to which the spent material is returned to the uranium mines.
4. Transmutation. Reactors are already being developed that can convert high-level radioactive waste into less hazardous substances. Simultaneously with the neutralization of waste, they are able to generate energy, so the technologies of this direction are considered extremely promising.
5. Removal into outer space. Despite the attractiveness of this idea, it has a lot of shortcomings. First, this method is quite expensive. Secondly, there is a risk of a crash of a carrier rocket, which can become a catastrophe. Finally, the clogging of outer space with such waste can, after a while, turn into big problems.

Rules for disposal and storage

In Russia, the treatment of radioactive waste is regulated primarily by federal law and commentaries to it, as well as some related documents, for example, the Water Code. According to the Federal Law, all radioactive waste should be buried in the most isolated places, while the pollution of water bodies is not allowed, sending to space is also prohibited.

For each category there is a regulation, in addition, the criteria for assigning the waste to a particular species and all the necessary procedures are clearly defined. Nevertheless, Russia has a lot of problems in this area. First, the disposal of radioactive waste can very soon become a non-trivial task, as there are not many specially equipped storage facilities in the country, and they will be filled soon enough. Secondly, there is no single system for managing the utilization process, which seriously complicates control.

International Projects

Taking into account the fact that the storage of radioactive waste became the most urgent after the cessation of the arms race, many countries prefer to cooperate in this matter. Unfortunately, there is still no consensus in this area, but discussion of various programs in the UN continues. The most promising projects seem to be the construction of a large international repository of radioactive waste in sparsely populated areas, as a rule, we are talking about Russia or Australia. However, the citizens of the latter are actively protesting this initiative.

Effects of irradiation

Almost immediately after the discovery of the phenomenon of radioactivity it became clear that it negatively affects the health and life of man and other living organisms. The investigations that the Curie couple conducted for several decades, eventually led to a severe form of radiation sickness in Mary, although she survived to 66 years.

This ailment is the main consequence of the effect of radiation on a person. The manifestation of this disease and its severity mainly depend on the total radiation dose received. They can be both fairly easy, and cause genetic changes and mutations, thus affecting the next generation. One of the first is the function of hematopoiesis, often in patients there are some forms of cancer. In most cases, treatment is sufficiently inefficient and consists only in observing the aseptic regimen and eliminating symptoms.

Prevention

Prevent the condition associated with the effects of radiation, it is quite simple - just do not fall into the zone with its elevated background. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, because many modern technologies involve active elements in one form or another. In addition, not everyone carries a portable radiation dosimeter with them, in order to know that they have got into the locality, where prolonged exposure can cause harm. Nevertheless, there are certain measures to prevent and protect against dangerous radiation, although there are not many of them.

First, it's screening. Almost everyone who came to the X-ray of a certain part of the body encountered this. If we are talking about the cervical spine or skull, the doctor suggests wearing a special apron, which is sewed with elements of lead, which does not miss radiation. Secondly, you can support the body's resistance by taking vitamins C, B ₆ and P. Finally, there are special preparations - radioprotectors. In many cases, they are very effective.